


The Legend of Emrys: Thief of the Darkling Woods

by j3swimmer



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Crimes & Criminals, Dungeon, F/M, M/M, Merlin is an orphan, Robin Hood but with magic, Thief!Merlin, Uther is a jerk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-28
Updated: 2013-08-30
Packaged: 2017-12-24 23:00:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/945701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/j3swimmer/pseuds/j3swimmer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robin Hood-esque Merthur AU.</p><p>Arthur has been hunting the mysterious thief Emrys and his confederates for ages.   But the man is like smoke.  He leaves no trace besides the short notes explaining how he is only "returning the gold to the people".  All Arthur knows is that Emrys doesn't work alone, and he takes his name from a druid legend.  </p><p>But, when he does meet the mysterious man, will he be able to do what his father asks?  Or is this the beginning of a new age in Camelot?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE READ FIRST! Some backstory to this AU: After the Purge begins, Uther decided that the High Priestesses were a greater threat than any remaining dragon lords, so he focused on getting rid of them first. This took about three years, ending in the death of Nimueh on the Isle of the Blessed. When they were all killed he switched targets surreptitiously, seeking out the dragon lords who had escaped him. It took him two years to find out Balinor was hiding in Ealdor, and when he did he not only killed Balinor, but destroyed the entire town, the only survivor being Merlin, who had escaped as he had been practicing magic in the forest with his father outside town when the fire started. Balinor went back for Hunith, and ended up dying himself. Merlin was found a few days later by the Druids, but I will talk about that and a few other character's backstory in the actual fic.
> 
> Also, this story was originally posted BY ME on ff.net. I will be editing it and posting it here as time allows.

**Chapter One: Dreams and Magic**

Arthur felt stupid.  He was in pain as well, but at the moment his shame was blocking out pretty much everything else. He had finally escaped the knights assigned to accompany him on the hunt, and he had managed to promptly fall off a ledge.  To make matters worse, he had heard a sharp snap when he hit the ground, accompanied by a large amount of pain.  So, not only was he alone in an unfamiliar part of the woods, his leg was almost certainly broken as well.  His father would never let him out of the castle again.  This was officially the end of his eleven year old life.  Of course that wasn't enough, though.  Arthur just had time to think about how the world must really have it out for him as the brushes began to rustle and a beast that looked a lot like a scorpion except for the fact that it was nearly twice as large as he was crept towards him.

Arthur screamed.  It was a very manly scream of course, but a scream none the less.  He really hoped the knights were close enough to save him, even if it meant spending the rest of his life locked in his chambers. Even that would be better than being dinner for the hideous creature approaching him.

Unfortunately, his knights weren't close enough to get to him in time. Fortunately, someone else was.  The creature had been about to stab him with its horrid tail when a small figure jumped from the forest and blew the beast into a tree with a wave of his hand.   This apparently wasn't enough to get rid of the monster as it returned, focusing its attack on the larger threat, the tiny black haired boy.  Arthur would have slapped his forehead if he wasn't frozen in fear for that last thought, but he quickly got over himself and watched as the boy said some nonsense words and a burst of flames flew from his outstretched palm and succeeded in scaring the monster away.  The boy then turned to Arthur, extended his hand and asked, "Are you alright, my friend?"

This pulled Arthur from his trance as he scooted back from the hand the boy had offered, saying "I'm not friends with sorcerers."

"I'm not a sorcerer." the boy said, looking quite offended by Arthur's behavior.

"I saw you use magic! You can't hide it from me!" Arthur said to the boy. He was slightly ridiculous looking. He was definitely younger than Arthur, and he looked to be made of sticks instead of big manly muscles like Arthur, his father, and all the knights were.  His eyes were blue and looked very large on his small frame, but they were nothing compared to his huge ears.  They stuck off from the side of his head like saucers, which explained how he had heard Arthur's cry, he probably could hear for miles around with ears like that. He looked quite proud as he said, "I'm not a sorcerer, I'm a warlock.  Iseldir says I'm special."

"I don't care what you call yourself, you still have magic, and magic is evil.  My father told me so.  If you leave now I will spare your life, but if I catch you doing magic again I won't hesitate to kill you."

"You prat!" the boy shouted jumping away from Arthur, "I just saved your life and that's how you repay me?  Maybe not killing me for now?"

"Well, it's your fault.  You learned magic.  That's against the rules." Arthur argued. 

"I didn't learn magic." the boy said quietly, kneeling in front of Arthur so they were at eye level with each other. "I was born with it.  And I'm not evil." he finished, crossing his arms angrily. 

"You were born with magic?" Arthur asked confused.  His father said only bad people learned magic.  Could someone be born evil? This little boy didn't seem evil; he had saved Arthur's life by plunging into danger when he didn't even know who Arthur was.

"Yeah.  Like I said, I'm special." the boy said proudly.  "And magic isn't evil. Iseldir knows lots of it and he's like the nicest guy I know.  He saved me when my parents died."

As the boy spoke he had crept closer to Arthur, and was looking at his leg curiously.  Arthur watched nervously as he extended his hand and mumbled some more nonsense over Arthur's injured leg. Arthur would have moved, he really would have, if the thought of motion didn't make him slightly queasy.  Whatever the boy had done definitely didn't seem evil as he felt a comforting warmth encircle his leg and the pain began to fade.  

"What did you do to me?" Arthur asked as the warmth dissipated but the pain did not return.  

"What does it look like, prat? I fixed your leg." the boy said.

"Stop calling me that!" Arthur said, standing up at last. Now he could use his full height to intimidate the boy.

"I don't know your name, and I think prat suits you quite well, so prat it is." the boy said happily, as if it made all the sense in the world.

"You can't speak to me like that.  I'm the prince of Camelot." Arthur said, trying to look like his father did when speaking to the people.  This apparently was the wrong thing to say as something dark passed over the boy's face and he backed away from Arthur.

"King Uther is your father?" the boy said, his voice barely more than a whisper.  For the first time in his life, Arthur wished he could say no.  He nodded silently, wondering if the boy would attack him.  The boy was glaring at him with a hateful expression when he had looked so happy before.  Arthur wondered if he would have still saved his life had he known who he was.

"Your father is the reason my parents are dead." the boy said, his voice still quiet.

"I'm sorry." Arthur said reaching a hand out to comfort the boy.   He took it as a good sign that the boy didn't flinch away from his hand.  "I'm sure it was an accident. My father only kills people who break the rules." 

The boy looked up at Arthur, his eyes narrowed.  "How can an entire village break the rules?  My parents were good people.  They weren't hurting anyone.  That didn't stop the knights from burning down the town we lived in, without giving any of the people a chance to save themselves.  Maybe there should be a rule against that."

Arthur was startled by the coldness of the boy's eyes.  He had looked so happy and carefree before this, but now he looked old, older than Arthur.  Older than the knights who had been sent out to watch him.  And Arthur couldn't help but agree with him.  Would his father really have destroyed an entire town in his fight against magic?

"I didn't know.  I'm sorry.  I never knew my mother.  I wouldn't wish that on anyone."  As Arthur finished, he pulled the boy into a slightly awkward hug.  He had only seen hugs happen, but they always looked like they helped.  When he released the boy, he looked slightly happier which made Arthur fell slightly less awful.  The part of his mind that sounded a whole lot like his father and was telling him that he definitely shouldn't be hugging a magic user was squashed by the good feeling he got from removing even a small bit of pain from this young boy's eyes.  He was trying to think of anything else comforting to say when he heard people shouting out his name from the forest above them.  The voices were getting closer, so he turned to the boy and said, "You have to leave.  The knights will come looking for me.  I don't want them to hurt you."

The boy nodded and turned to head back into the woods.  Just before he reached the cover of the trees, Arthur realized something and called out, "Wait! I don't even know your name!"

The boy turned back and opened his mouth to respond and...

Arthur woke up.  It had been ages since he had dreamed of his encounter with the black-haired boy in the woods.  He always woke just before the boy told him his name.  He was certain that he had said his name, but it was lost to the recesses of his memories.  Unless he had made the whole thing up, which he doubted very much as he definitely remembered being locked in the castle for what had felt like an eternity to his child's mind after he had snuck away from the knights.  

It was appropriate the young warlock had haunted his dreams last night.  Today was the beginning of the celebration of his father "saving the land from the evils of magic" as the king put it.  It would start with the death of a convicted sorcerer this afternoon.  Arthur didn't really know how well his father had saved the land.  The people were suffering; even from his fancy castle chambers he could see that.  They had begun to rally behind a magic user named Emrys who was currently infuriating the king.  He had broken into the coiffures of Camelot three times now, taking most of the gold and only leaving notes explaining how "Uther had taken more than his share" and that "the gold would be given to those who truly needed it."

He had been spotted a grand total of twice, and both those times he had been wearing a cloak so his identity was unknown.  He seemed to have a couple of associates helping him out, as an unfortunate tax collector had learned on one occasion.  The poor man had been jumped on his way to the castle and his entire months work had been taken from him, leaving him with only a message from the thief and slightly soiled trousers.  Instead of responding to the messages by accepting Emrys' terms and taking less, Uther had increased taxes tenfold, saying it was repayment for the amounts stolen.  Arthur had been put in charge of catching said thief which was proving rather troublesome as the man was like smoke.  He left absolutely no trace besides the notes, and no one had any idea of who he was or even what he looked like.  There were rumors he was an incredibly old man and others that he was in fact a she, a beautiful woman who had seduced her way into the castle.  The only clue they had was the name Emrys, who was apparently a character from Druid legends who was supposed to unite the lands of Albion under the Once and Future King.  He also was supposedly the most powerful sorcerer of all time.  So, either this man was trying to frighten them or was incredibly full of himself and genuinely thought he was this Emrys of legend.  Whichever it was, it didn't really provide any clue besides possible Druid ties, but no one had seen Druids around Camelot for about seven years, which ruled that out.  So, Arthur had nothing.  No clues, no hints, only rumors that got wilder and wilder as time went on.  

Arthur was about to get out of bed and look through all his notes on Emrys again when there was a light tapping on his door.  He mumbled "Come in." and the door opened, letting his newest manservant enter. For some reason he couldn't seem to find a servant who would stay in his service for more than a couple weeks.  His father was starting to get quite frustrated, threatening to leave him servant-less if he couldn't keep one for at least a couple of months.  So, he put up with Geoffrey or Gregory or whatever his newest servant's name was.  It definitely started with a G, he was sure of that.  And in his defense, he had only had him for about two days now.  He did all his work perfectly, Arthur couldn't fault him on that, but he was incredibly dull.  And the way he acted around him, like it was an honor to simply be in his presence, was a bit annoying.  Morgana was so lucky to have Guinevere, the two were practically inseparable.  

"Good morning Sire" his manservant said with a bow, "I have brought you all your favorites for breakfast.  The king would like me to remind you that your presence is required at the execution today, he would like you there in full armor to represent the knights of Camelot."

Arthur sighed and tried not to wonder how this new servant already knew what his favorite foods were.  

"Thank you..." Arthur said trailing of at the forgotten name.

"George, Sire." George supplied.

"George, yes, I knew that." Arthur said, stumbling out of bed and over to the food laden table.  "I think I will go down to train with the knights this morning, I will need you to fetch me at midday for lunch and to prepare for the celebration."

"Of course, Sire." George said as he pulled Arthur's clothes from the dresser.  Arthur hoped that the training would get his mind off mysterious thieves and black haired warlocks before he had to see his father.

* * *

 

It was so hot.  Arthur wondered why his father had decided that this celebration needed to happen in the middle of the summer.  He also really wanted to know how Morgana had gotten out of this.  If he was forced to bake in the sun all the day she should have to join him.  A sizable crowd had gathered around the small platform that had been built to execute the sorcerer, a man named Thomas Collins.  He had been caught using magic to fix a broken cart, and was now going to be killed for it.  Arthur couldn’t help but think about what the boy from the woods had said about magic not being evil when Thomas was dragged up to the platform.  He didn't look evil, just tired.  And it wasn't like he was using his magic to hurt anyone, but his father had always taught him that magic was evil no matter what form it took and there had been attacks from sorcerers in the past.  Arthur listened as his father gave a short speech about how magic corrupted and so on before raising his hand dropping it to tell the executioner it was time.  As his hand lowered, someone from the crowd shouted "STOP!" and there was a flash of light.  The executioner did not stop, but instead of chopping Thomas' head off, the axe burst into a flurry of feathers, leaving Thomas Collins completely unharmed.  Arthur searched the crowd, trying to figure out who had stopped the execution, but all the townspeople looked just as confused as he did.  He heard his father shout, "Guards! Catch the sorcerer!" as the people below tried to figure out what was going on.  The befuddled guards sprang into action, two of them grabbing Thomas Collins and looking quite proud of themselves until Uther shouted, "Not him, you imbeciles! The other sorcerer!"

This proclamation caused someone in the crowd to start laughing.  Uther looked enraged, his face turning a terrible shade of puce as the crowd parted around the laughing person, revealing a figure in a dark cloak.  Arthur wondered how he hadn't noticed the figure before as Uther screamed, "Seize him!"

The guards moved, scrambling through the crowds to attempt to reach the laughing man.  As they moved towards him, he stopped laughing, and pointed his hand towards the cobblestones.  Suddenly all the guards stopped moving, and started sinking into the ground.  As suddenly as the sinking had started it stopped, freezing each of the men up to their ankles in stone and the cloaked figure walked up past the struggling guards to the execution block unhindered.  The crowds parted around him, watching with awe as he helped Thomas Collins to his feet and asked him, "Are you alright, Master Collins?"

Thomas Collins looked completely stunned by this sudden chain of events, but managed to nod to the man before he continued, saying "My name is Emrys, and I would like to take you somewhere safe, if you wish to come with me."

There was a gasp throughout the courtyard as the man revealed his identity.  Arthur was leaning as far as he could off the banisters to get a better look at the man he had been trying to catch for the past couple of weeks while his father looked as if he could spit flames, he was so angry.  Emrys seemed to be completely ignoring his father, which was something Uther definitely wasn't used to. "Neither of you are going anywhere!" Uther yelled, causing Emrys to look towards them briefly and wave his hand, causing Arthur to feel his legs freeze in place before returning his attention back to Thomas Collins and saying, "I can take you to a small village where magic is not feared but celebrated.  I grew up there.  The people are kind, and will help you set up a new life if that is what you wish.  Or I could help you leave this kingdom if you prefer, I just don't believe anyone should be persecuted for who they are."

He then turned his head back up towards Arthur and his father.  Even though his face was hidden, Arthur could tell he was glaring at them.  Arthur cringed slightly until Thomas spoke; causing Emrys to turn his head back towards the convicted sorcerer.  "I can't leave my mother, Mary." Arthur heard the man mumbled.  

"Of course not." Emrys replied.  "She could come as well, if she wants."

Thomas nodded at Emrys, and he turned to the crowd saying, "Could Madame Collins please come forward?  I would like to speak with you."

The crowd parted again as an elderly woman walked up to the platform, taking Emrys' hand to help pull her up.  His skin was incredibly pale as it grasped her withered brown hand.  Once she was on the platform she rushed forward to hug her son. Emrys let them embrace for a moment before saying, "I need you two to decide where you want to go.  I believe Madame Collins has a device that may help with our get away if she permits me to use it.  I need to speak with Uther briefly before we leave."

The mother and son pair nodded and began to whisper to each other as Emrys turned back towards the balcony saying, "Uther Pendragon, you ignored my letters.  You cannot continue to steal from the people as you do."

"You cannot speak to me like that, you sorcerer-filth, I am your king!" Uther shouted.  Arthur almost slapped his forehead at the ridiculousness of that statement.  This man had broken almost all of Camelot's laws and his father expected him to address the royalty properly?

"I will not call you my king until you prove yourself worthy of the title.  You murder innocents because of some ridiculous grudge against magic and your people starve as you bathe in their wealth up in your castle, spending your time finding more and more people to kill for crimes they did not commit instead of protecting those under your care.  When you serve your people and prove yourself worthy of the throne, I will call you king."

"It is you and the other magic scum that have polluted his kingdom.  I simply seek to save it.  I swear I will make you pay for your crimes."

"And I swear, Uther Pendragon; that you will pay for yours." Emrys replied enigmatically.  With that, Emrys turned away from the balcony and back the Collins family, saying, "I believe I am ready to go, have you made a decision?"

Thomas nodded and said, "We would like to go to the small village you spoke of, if you would take us there."

"Of course." Emrys replied.  "Now, Madame Collins, if I could see that amulet you have?"

The old woman reached around her neck and pulled of a necklace with a yellow stone on the end and handed it to Emrys, who took it from her and said, "Thank you.  If you would both grab my arms now we will be on our way." 

The pair each held and arm as Emrys said "The spells I cast will break once we are gone, except for the axe.  That’s not coming back." then with a few words the trio on the platform were surrounded with a rushing wind and vanished.   


	2. Chapter Two: Chasing Emrys

**Chapter Two: Chasing Emrys**

Merlin stumbled slightly as his feet reconnected with the ground.  He never really liked transportation spells.  They were tricky, and required intense focus and some type of magical artifact to keep you from falling apart in the journey.  He turned to the two who had come with him, asking "Are you alright?"

He paused, waiting for them both to brush themselves off and nod before he pulled back his hood and continued, "We’re close to the village I spoke of, but I need you to promise me something before we enter.  Most of the people living here are Druids.  They are a very peaceful people.  I don't expect you to adopt all of their beliefs, but I do expect you to honor their ways.  Like I said, I grew up here; these people are family to me.  I need you to promise me that you will not harm them or ever report their location to anyone who would seek to destroy them.  Do you understand?"

Thomas and Mary nodded and Thomas said, "I owe you my life.  I promise I would never do anything to harm you or your family."

Mary grabbed Merlin's hand and said, "You saved my son's life.  Nothing I could ever do would repay that.  I swear I will never do anything to wrong you."

"Thank you, now if you follow me, it won't be long before we get there." Merlin said, smiling at them both before turning in the direction he knew the camp lay.  They followed as he pushed through the bushes and trees that had grown thick around the village, protecting the people who lived there from prying eyes.  Merlin remembered climbing around in these trees as a child.  He had only been four when he was forced to flee his home.  He would remain forever in debt to Iseldir and the Druids who had found him.  It had taken him a while to fully accept their hospitality, but they had been patient with him, explaining their views and teaching him how to control and use his magic.  He had been happy here, but he had also been restless.  He had needed to do something to fight the king who had taken everything from him, even if he would honor the Druid beliefs in nonviolence as he did.  While he lived in the camp, the Druids had also taught him of his destiny, and he wanted to do whatever he could to protect the people who believed in the future he was supposed to create.  So, he had left the safety of the village in search of a better life for his people.

He had spent a few years traveling before he started to steal from Uther, learning everything he could about foreign magics and the beliefs of the people he had met.  He hadn't gone alone, a friend of his from the camp, Percival, had gone with him. Merlin had found Percival and his sisters alone in the woods and brought to Druid camp a couple years after he had started living there.  They had both been outsiders and had bonded over that.  But Percival had no magic, so when Merlin had been learning spells and such with Iseldir, he had strengthened his body, eventually growing larger than all the men in the camp.  They had met others on their travels, and had formed a small troop that all believed Uther was not fit to be king. 

As the small shacks and tents of the town came into view, Merlin was greeted by a group of children.  He recognized one of them as Percival's niece, Miranda.  She was the only one in the group calling him Merlin, the rest were calling him Emrys.  He scooped up Miranda, who giggled and asked, "Did you bring me any presents, Uncle Merlin?"

"Not this time, princess." Merlin said with a chuckle.  "But I do have something for you." 

He then whispered “ _Blóstmá_ ”and a red rose blossomed in his hand.  He took the flower and tucked it into her hair before he set her back down with the other children.

"Can you do a trick for us, Emrys?" Elis, the youngest of the group asked.  The rest of the children joined in, begging him to do some magic.  Merlin smiled at them and said; "Not right now guys, I need to talk to Iseldir."

"Please Emrys, just one quick spell?" Annwyl asked, putting on a spectacular pout.  The others joined her, looking up at him with their eyes wide and bottom lips trembling.  Merlin couldn't resist that, so he kneeled down saying, "Alright, but only one."

The pouts vanished as they all rushed around him as he reached out a fist.  He mumbled a few words and opened his fist, revealing a small glowing blue ball.  The eyes of the children widen and Merlin said, "Take it."

They looked a little nervous, but eventually Llyr, the oldest of the group, stepped forward and picked the glowing ball up from Merlin's palm.  It glowed more brightly for a moment before dimming and becoming a normal ball they would be able to play with.  All the other children reached forward to touch the ball and mutter thank you's before they heard a voice above them.

"Alright children, I think you've bothered Emrys enough.  Why don't you go play with your new toy."

The children nodded and ran off back towards the village as Merlin stood up and greeted the newcomer, saying, "It's good to see you Iseldir."

The Druid leader pulled Merlin into a hug saying, "And you, Emrys, it has been too long."

"When will you stop calling me that?  All the others follow your example.  I want to be called Merlin, you know that."

"You should be proud of your name, Emrys.  Not everyone has prophecies written about them.  But who are your friends?  More enemies of the Pendragons?"

"I suppose you could call them that." Merlin said, turning to glance back at the Collins.  "This is Thomas and Mary Collins of Camelot.  They need somewhere to stay, and I thought you might be able to take care of them.  Thomas and Mary this is Iseldir, leader of this tribe."

"It is good to meet both of you," Iseldir said, extending a hand in greeting.  "Here we try to help all those we can.  You are more than welcome to stay here if you are willing to adopt our belief in nonviolence towards all others."

Thomas and Mary both nodded.  Merlin couldn't help but think they both looked a little overwhelmed by all that had just happened.  Iseldir smiled at them and said, "Good." he then turned back towards the village and called a couple of young women over.  They all smiled prettily at Merlin before turning their attention to Iseldir and the newcomers.  "Camma, Ganna, and Aelwyn will take you to a tent you can stay in until we build you something more permanent.  If you need anything, just ask.  We will do our best to provide.  I need to talk with Emrys for a moment, but I will check in to see how you are doing when we are done."

Thomas and Mary both nodded, and thanked Merlin before following the three young ladies into the village.  Once they were out of earshot Iseldir turned back to Merlin and said, "I'm guessing that young man is the one Uther was going to execute today.  You must have made quite the spectacle."

"I suppose so," Merlin replied sheepishly.  "I just didn't think I could stand and watch as Uther killed any more innocent people.  That man was caught fixing a cart, how is that a crime worthy of death?"

"It isn't, but you of all people should understand that Uther is blind when it comes to magic.  You've remembered everything I taught you right?"

"I didn't hurt anyone, if that's what you mean.  And I don't plan on it either.  I have grown since you found me in those woods fifteen years ago.  I know killing Uther won't bring my parents back."

Iseldir nodded and said, "You have.  I am quite proud of how much you have grown, and I believe your parents would be proud as well."

"Thank you." Merlin said quietly.  "You have been like a father to me ever since I lost my own, but I still wonder what he would think of me.  His only son, a thief."

"His only son isn't just a thief, he's a hero.  You saved that man today, and who knows what could have happened if you didn't.  A mother who has lost her son can be a very dangerous thing.  You're actions have far greater consequences than you could ever imagine.  And as a warlock who uses his powers only for the good of others, you teach the people that Uther's beliefs are wrong.  I cannot imagine any parent who wouldn't be proud of all you have done, Emrys."

Merlin smiled at the older Druid.  He always seemed to know just what to say to help him find his way.  He had comforted him when he cried out for his mother and father, stopped him from trying to seek his revenge on Uther Pendragon, and encouraged him to find his own path instead of spending his whole life in their small village.  Merlin sighed and said, "I should probably be heading back to my camp.  Who knows what kind of trouble the others will have caused while I was away.  Thank you for taking care of those two for me.  Is there anything you need?  I can bring supplies back after the next raid; I've noticed the camp is growing."

"Thank you Emrys, but I believe we will not need any of your supplies.  All our stomachs are full and our beds are warm.  Take your profits to the people who really need it.  But you should visit more often.  The children miss you.  And bring Percival as well; it has been too long since he has stopped by."

"I will try my best." Merlin said, walking away from the camp, "Goodbye Iseldir."

"Stay safe, Emrys." The man replied.  Merlin pushed his way through the bushes, oriented himself, then headed in the direction of his camp.

His camp wasn't too far from the Druid settlement.  It wasn't long before he could hear his friends celebrating something in the camp.  It sounded a lot like Gwaine had gotten drunk again, which really shouldn't have surprised him by now.  As he reached the small clearing that housed their camp, he was pulled into some type of dance by the inebriated man.  They spun around the fire a couple times while Percival and Lancelot laughed before Gwaine fell pulling Merlin with him.  Merlin joined the laughter as well, as he pulled Gwaine into a sitting position and asked, "What's happened to put you lot in such a good mood?"

Percival tossed Merlin a sack of gold as Lancelot said, "Uther might be missing a little bit more than a sorcerer's head.  We figured we could use your little show as a distraction so we broke into the castle and took this while the guards were busy searching for you."

"That's brilliant!" Merlin cried.  "Did you leave a note?"

"Yeah," Gwaine said, "but we had to sign it “Emrys' best mates” seeing as you weren't there."

Merlin laughed as Gwaine shoved him lightly.  Percival offered him a hand and pulled him to his feet as he asked, "And how did your show go, Merlin?"

"It went quite well.  I think Uther may have turned a new shade of red previously unknown to mankind when I said I was Emrys.  Apparently he's not my biggest fan."

"You took the sorcerer to Iseldir, right?  How was the village?  Did you see my sisters?" Percival asked.

"No," Merlin replied, "But I did see Miranda.  She is looking lovely as ever.  Iseldir wants you to visit."

"But Percy has to stay here!" Gwaine complained loudly, "Who else will carry me back when I pass out from drinking too much?"

"Maybe you should try not drinking so much." Lancelot suggested.

"But then what would you lot do for entertainment?" Gwaine asked.

"He does have a point; things wouldn't be nearly as crazy without Gwaine making a fool of himself every few minutes." Percival added thoughtfully.

"Exactly." Gwaine said, trying to stand back up but stumbling and falling back onto his bottom.   Merlin laughed along with the others before asking, "Do we have any food, I'm famished."

"Only if you say the magic word." Gwaine said in a sing song voice.

"Give me some food or I'll turn you into a toad.  How's that for a magic word?" Merlin replied.

"That sounds good to me!" Gwaine said from his position on the ground.  "Percy, be a good lad and get Merlin some food."

Percival walked past Gwaine and knocked him lightly on the shoulder.  Of course, this was Percival, so the light tap sent Gwaine right back into the dirt.  He returned with a bowl full of some type of stew.  Merlin dug in, praying that this wasn't another one of Gwaine and Percival's pranks and he wasn't eating rat or whatever other terrible thing they decide to serve him.  As he ate Lancelot said, "I was thinking we should try to get that gold delivered tonight.  Uther's called for another tax tomorrow, it would be good if we could get the people money before they have to pay it."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Merlin said between bites, "The guards will have been increased after today."

"That's never stopped us before." Percival reasoned.  "The people need this money now; it won't do any good sitting around our camp."

"Plus, the guards still don't know what we look like." Gwaine added, suddenly much more sober than he had been a moment ago.  "I say we go tonight."

"I suppose you're right.  Just be careful, alright?  Uther's pissed off, and he shouldn't be taken lightly."

"We know, Merlin." Percival said affectionately.  Even though Merlin was the leader of the group, he was the youngest so he often got treated like their little brother.  They all knew he was much more powerful than any of them, but they still looked out for him and often, as Percival had just done, would ruffle his hair and give him affectionate pats they wouldn't give each other.  Lancelot helped Gwaine up and they headed out of the camp and towards Camelot carrying quite a bit of the king's gold.

* * *

 

Arthur had been on patrol ever since he had been released from his father's chambers.  The king had yelled at him for quite a while, telling him he was failing the kingdom by not being any closer to catching Emrys than they had been when the first letter arrived.  Things had only gotten worse when a shaking guard entered the room to let the furious king know that he had been robbed once more.  That had been it for Uther, and he had ordered Arthur to get out and bring him Emrys' head before nightfall.  Arthur had looked around the courtyard for any clues and questioned anyone he could find about suspicious hooded figures, but he knew it was useless.  Emrys was obviously a highly skilled magic user; he would know how to cover his tracks.  Arthur was just about to head back to the castle for supper when he heard someone whisper "Thank you, Emrys." from behind him.  He froze.  He didn't want to give away his identity to the person who had mentioned the thief's name, so he tried to look casual as he turned slowly and looked down the street he had been walking down.  Sure enough, about twenty paces away, a figure in a dark cloak was standing talking to a skinny woman who had two small children clinging to her knees.  Arthur walked by them slowly, hoping to pick up on anything else they said.  He needed proof that this was the man he had been searching for before he brought the wrong person to his father and ended up in even more trouble than he was in now.  Unfortunately, nothing they said as he passed gave him any clues, so he decided to follow the cloaked figure and see if he revealed his identity, or if he possibly led him to his prey.  

The person made quite a few more stops before exiting Camelot.  At each house he would hand over a small bag to the people waiting inside, mostly families and elderly couples.  Nothing he did screamed Emrys, so Arthur had no other options besides to keep following him.  It didn't seem like the man had noticed his presence, which was one good thing.  When he left the city Arthur wondered if he should call for backup, but realized in the time that would take he would lose the first real lead he had gotten since he had begun searching for the thief.  So he followed the man out into the forest, ducking behind trees every time he turned his head. Arthur figured they must be nearing the man's destination as he began to slow and removed his hood.  Arthur put a hand on his sword's hilt as he followed the dark haired man wearing the cloak.  He felt his excitement building, his father would finally be proud of him!  He would bring him the thief he wanted so badly, and he would have to congratulate him!  Arthur was so lost in his fantasies that he didn't hear anything as another cloaked figure sprang from the trees behind him and yanked his hands behind his back.  So much for finally getting praise...


	3. Chapter Three: Merlin

Chapter Three: Merlin

Well, things could have been worse, Arthur thought.  On the bright side he had found Emrys' camp.  But, he had been captured, which would probably mean that he would either be killed or ransomed back to his father, both of which sounded equally unfortunate at the moment.  He tried to block his father's disappointed face from his mind, focusing instead on learning as much as he could about Emrys and his associates as his captor shouted, "Oh mighty Emrys!  I think you have a stalker." and pulled Arthur into the little camp where the man was standing with his back to Arthur and the man holding him.  

"Did you bring another girl to our camp, Gwaine?" the mighty Emrys asked, still not turning around.

"Nope." his captor, Gwaine apparently, said, "This one came all by himself.  And he's definitely not a girl, although he's nearly as pretty as one."

"What are you talking about? Have you been drinking again Gwa-" Emrys said turning around at last and freezing, jaw still opened, waiting to finish his companion's name.  Gwaine began to protest Emrys' accusation but was cut off as Emrys regained his composure and said, "That's Arthur Pendragon."

"Yes I do believe it is." Gwaine said, as if it was completely normal to have the man hunting them down in their camp.

"You brought Arthur Pendragon to our camp?" 

"Of course not, Mer-" Gwaine was interrupted as Emrys said, "Don't tell him my name!"

Emrys needn’t have worried, Arthur hadn’t heard any of what had been said since Emrys turned to face him.  His mind had been lost to the memories of a young, dark-haired warlock ever since Emrys had turned around.  Arthur knew he had seen those bright blue eyes and enormous ears before.  He was sure Emrys was the boy from the forest.  So, he hadn't heard anything Emrys and Gwaine had just said; as instead he had been listening as a small boy turned back to him and said...

"MERLIN!" Arthur shouted.  "I remembered! Your name is Merlin!"

When he had shouted the name, both Merlin and Gwaine had turned towards him.  Gwaine's jaw had dropped while Merlin's was pulled into a thin line.  Gwaine apparently got over his surprise quickly and said, "Wait a minute, you two know each other?"

"No." Merlin replied quickly before Arthur could shout, "Yes! You're the warlock from the forest!  I can't believe your ears have actually grown since then."

"And I can't believe you’re even more of a prat." Merlin replied snappily.

"Okay, you two definitely know each other." Gwaine interjected.  "How come you never told us you were on a first name basis with royalty, Merlin?"

"We only met once." Merlin defended.

"You saved my life!" Arthur added.

"I may have possibly saved his life when we were children." Merlin elaborated.

Gwaine had begun to reply but Arthur cut him off before he could finish, shouting out, "You're Emrys? How can you be Emrys?"

"Gwaine, could you go make dinner or something?" Merlin said, completely ignoring Arthur, "I want to talk to our guest alone."

"Awe, can't you just magic something up?" Gwaine whined.

"Do you remember what happened last time I tried to 'magic something' up?"

"I try not to." Gwaine replied with a grimace.

"Exactly." Merlin replied, "Now could you please go start dinner or gather firewood or something, I really want to talk to Arthur on my own."

"Ok," Gwaine replied, "but only if you promise to tell me the story of how you saved prince-y boy's life."

"Fine, if you leave us alone."

"You sure you don't need me to rough him up a bit, make sure he knows whose boss?"

"Gwaine..." Merlin said in a slightly exasperated tone.

"Alright, Alright, I'm going." Gwaine said, handing over the rope that held Arthur to Merlin.  Arthur probably could have pulled away; Merlin still appeared to be made of sticks, just like in his memory.  But Merlin would probably be able to stop him using magic, and Arthur was quite excited to have a chance to talk to the boy from his memories once again.  So, he let himself be lead over to a tree at the far side of the camp, and with a flick of Merlin's hand, he found himself bound to said tree.

"So, you're Emrys?" Arthur asked again as Merlin sat down beside him.

"That is what the Druids call me." Merlin replied enigmatically, looking across the camp instead of at Arthur, which was starting to get quite annoying.

"Are you going to kill me?" Arthur asked.  This finally got Merlin to turn towards him as he replied, "Kill you! Of course not!"

"So you're going to hold me for ransom.  Or are you going to torture me to find out Camelot's weak spots, because I won't tell you anything!"

"You really must think the worst of us.  We won't hurt you, or ask for any ransom, don't worry."  Merlin said, watching Arthur with amusement.

"But what about what Gwaine said?" Arthur asked, quite confused.  Wasn’t he their enemy?  Why wouldn’t they hurt him?

"What? That he would 'rough you up'? He was joking, or being overprotective.  One of the two.  Don't worry about him.  We don't hurt others."

"So what are you going to do to me?" Arthur asked, confused.  

"Talk to you.  Probably give you some food, eventually we'll have to knock you out so we can move without you seeing us."

Arthur didn't know what to say to that.  If things had been reversed his father wouldn't have hesitated to kill Merlin.  He looked around the camp; there really wasn't a whole lot to it.  There was a small fire pit in the center, with four bed rolls lined up near to it.  Gwaine was watching him suspiciously from a corner of a camp as he mixed something together in a pot.  Arthur turned back to Merlin and said, "You haven't kept any of the gold."

"No." Merlin responded quickly, "We didn't lie in those letters.  All the money we took from your father we gave to the people it was taken from.  Uther takes more than he needs, so we take the extra to those who actually need it."

"My father only takes what is necessary to protect the people." Arthur replied, not really believing what he was saying.  "You shouldn't steal anyways, it’s a crime."

"How are seven feasts in the past fifteen days 'protecting the people'?  We only steal from you because your father is a greedy pig and if you can't see that than you’re just as bad as he is."

"You can't talk about royals like that." Arthur responded automatically.  He might have slapped his forehead if his arms weren't tied to a tree.  

"You sound a lot like your father."  Merlin responded, sounding almost disappointed.  Arthur had to agree with him.  "You can't expect respect without deserving it first.  The man who caught you, Gwaine, taught me something I think might help you understand.  He was born a noble, the son of a knight in Carleon's army.  His father died fighting for his king, and his family was left destitute, their king wouldn't help them when they needed it most.  He told me that what he learned from his struggles is that nobility is defined by what you do, not by who you are.  When you earn your title as prince, I will address you as such."

Arthur felt a little annoyed by that.  He had spent his entire life trying to prove he was good enough to be the prince.  "What do you expect me to do to earn it?" he asked, "I've been training with a sword since I was five, and I've won every tournament I've fought in since I was eleven.  I've attended council sessions and helped greet foreign dignitaries and been bored out of my mind learning about Camelot’s history.  What else do you want from me?"

Merlin turned and looked directly at him and said, "I expect you to use your skills with a sword to defend your people, not your honor, I expect you to protect the citizens, even when it means disagreeing with your father, and I expect you to be able to make your own decisions instead of following those of others blindly.  Only then will I address you with the respect a prince deserves."

There was a lull in the conversation as Arthur contemplated what Merlin said.  Merlin had turned away from him and was watching Gwaine talk with two other men who had arrived at some point in their conversation.  After a brief silence Arthur said, "Why does Gwaine fight my father if it was Caerleon who wronged him?"

"He is under the impression that he owes me.” Merlin said, still watching the others, “Thinks I saved his life.  He got into a bit of trouble with a group of thugs in a bar, and they looked as if they were going to really hurt him, so me and Percival stepped in and helped him get away.  He probably would have been fine without my help, but still.  I also think he likes having company.  Plus, he's fun to have around.  He's a good man, and dead useful in a fight.  And he makes things more lively.  He understands our cause, Queen Annis is changing Caerleon, they don't need help like the people here do."

There was another silence as Arthur thought of something he had wondered for quite some time, and said, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Me Merlin or me Emrys?" Merlin said, looking back at Arthur.

"Merlin.  There's something I've always wondered about the day you saved me."

"Alright, but I won't promise I will answer.  And I would like to ask you a question in return."

Arthur nodded and asked, "Would you have saved me all those years ago if you knew who I was beforehand?"

Merlin thought for a moment before saying, "Honestly, I don't know.  I wish I could say yes, but back then I'm not sure.  I was young, and I was angry.  If I had found you a year earlier I might have killed you myself.  I almost tried to go to Camelot to get revenge.  Can you imagine that? A little nine year old magic user marching into Camelot, no plan, no allies, and trying to kill the king.  It would have been suicide.  Iseldir convinced me not to, and he taught me about the Druid beliefs in non-violence towards everyone.  I didn't really understand what everyone meant for quite a while, but now I do.  I think I would save you now, I'm less sure about your father, but I don't want him to die either."

"Is Iseldir your father?" Arthur asked, curious about this peaceful man.

"No." Merlin replied quickly.  "He found me.  I was very lucky his tribe noticed the smoke left from the fire that Uther's knights set.  That fire killed my parents, my friends, everyone I knew.  Iseldir and his tribe came to help the survivors.  I was the only one.” Merlin paused here for a moment, squeezing his eyes shut as if to block something from his vision before he continued, saying, “He let me live with his tribe, and taught me their ways and of my destiny.  I owe him my life." Merlin paused for a moment, apparently lost in his memories.  Arthur didn't think he should interrupt his thoughts so he waited until Merlin said, "Now for my question.  Do you agree with your father's stance on magic?"

"Yes." Arthur replied automatically before he actually thought about the question. Merlin's disappointed glare made him think about his answer.  He had replied exactly as his father would expect him to, but was that really how he felt? After thinking a bit more he said, "No.  Maybe?  I know how I am supposed to feel, but I'm not sure.  Ever since you saved my life I've questioned it.  We've been attacked by so many magic users; I just figured my father was right.  He's always told me magic corrupted, but then I realized that a lot of the people my father killed hadn't really done anything evil.  And most of those who tried to hurt us did it for revenge, not for power or anything else.  And then you come back, risking your life to save the starving people, and you don't even think of killing me when you’re given the chance, yet you have more power than anyone else I've met.  You might be single handedly changing my views on magic."

Merlin laughed at that.  "I'm glad.  I guess I have one more question. What will you tell your father when you get back?"

"Nothing." Arthur replied.  "I won't let him kill you now that I've finally found you again." Arthur blushed.  He hadn't meant to say that out loud.  But it was true.  He had always been afraid each time his father had announced he had caught another sorcerer, afraid that it would be the big eared boy from the forest.

"Thanks,” Merlin said sheepishly, "but I think you'll need to tell your father something after disappearing for a night.  We just need to think of something you can say that won't give us away.  Why don't you tell him the truth, partially at least, say you were following a lead on Emrys, but were captured by my men.  We were planning on torturing you for information, but you were able to use your amazing cunning and skills to escape me.  You wanted to fight us, but we took your weapons, so you weren't really able to.  Oh! And we were wearing masks the whole time, so you didn’t get a good look at our faces.  Do you think your father will buy that?"

"Probably." Arthur said, "He might even be proud of me for getting that close."

"You wouldn't want Uther Pendragon not to be proud of you; he's just a pillar of moral righteousness." Merlin said sarcastically.  

"He is still my father." Arthur replied, quietly. 

Merlin nodded then stood and said, "Thank you for speaking with me.  I should probably stop before those three pull me away.  I'll see if we can't get you some food, although I don't think it will be quite up to the standards of your royal palate." 

"Thank you." Arthur replied lamely.  He wished he could have thought of more to say.  Merlin seemed so much more eloquent than he was. Arthur couldn't hear what the outlaws were saying as Merlin joined their group.  The other three seemed slightly upset with Arthur as they kept glaring at him.  Merlin kept on waving their comments away and laughing.  Every once and a while he would smile at Arthur, making a warm feeling spread in Arthur’s stomach.  Gwaine and one of the others eventually dragged Merlin away, leaving the biggest of the lot to bring a small bowl over to him.  He untied Arthur than retied him a bit tighter than necessary, leaving one of his hands free so he could eat the stew in the bowl he had brought.  While Arthur ate he said, "Merlin may be trusting and kind, but we want you to know, if you do anything to hurt him we will make you pay.  We don't all believe in non-violence like he does, if we find out you lied to him and report all this to your father, I promise you will regret it."

Arthur nodded and said, "I won't.  I promise you."

The large man didn't look like he trusted Arthur, but he nodded before taking the bowl and retying Arthur to the tree more securely. He then walked away in the direction the other three had gone, leaving Arthur alone.

It was starting to get quite dark when Merlin returned, the large man who had talked with Arthur following him.  When they were close enough for Arthur to hear them he could hear the large one saying, "I still don't see why you can't just wipe his memory.  You've done it before."

"I want him to remember this, Perce.  He's different from his father." Merlin replied.

"How do you know?  How do you know he won't run back to his father and tell him all about us?  I'm just trying to do what's best for us, Merlin."

"I know Perce, but I trust him.  What if he's the one?"

Perce didn't respond to this at once, letting Arthur ponder what that could mean until Perce said, "You think he's the Once and Future King?  Uther's son?"

"I don't know, alright, but I think it's possible.  He doesn't share his father's views.  He could fix things peacefully; he's the only one who could change things without there needing to be war."

"Just be careful, Merlin."

"I'll be fine, Perce.  You worry too much."

Perce grunted in response and sat next to the fire, keeping an eye on Arthur as Merlin approached him again. 

"He sure doesn't like me." Arthur whispered when Merlin was close enough to him to hear.

"He's just being ridiculous." Merlin said, yelling out the last two words so Perce would be able to hear them.  They received another grunt in response, which made Merlin laugh before he said quietly, "You remember how I said Gwaine might be a little over protective? Well he's about a hundred times worse than Gwaine.  Probably because we grew up together."

"He seems a bit violent for a Druid." Arthur said, figuring they must have met in the Druid camp as Merlin said everyone from his village had died.

"Percival, a Druid?" Merlin said with a laugh. "No.  He was an orphan like me.  The Druids adopted him after his mother died.  He probably blames you father a bit as well, which would make him even more suspicious."

"Was his mother a witch?" Arthur asked, thinking that might be why he blamed Uther for her death.

"No.  She was a farmer and seamstress.  From what Percival has told me she was quite the lovely woman, but I never got to meet her."

"So then why does he blame my father for her death?"

Merlin was silent for a moment.  He glanced across the fire to where Percival was still watching them.  Then he turned back to Arthur and said, "They were poor.  His father left them before he was born.  Apparently he didn't want to have to deal with three daughters and a pregnant wife, so his mother had to raise them on her own.  They did alright for a while, till a plague struck their village.  Percival and his three sisters all got sick.  Their mother spent all their money on taking care of them, so she didn't have anything to spend when she also fell ill.  She died of the sickness, leaving them only with her debts.  They were going to be sold into slavery to pay them back, but Percival broke them out and they escaped into the woods.  We found them a couple days later, living in a cave.  He believes that if it hadn't been for the taxes your father asked for, she might have been able to save herself as well."

Arthur was silent.  He had seen that the people were suffering, but hearing the story of how one family was almost destroyed by the high taxes his father asked for really made it obvious that things needed to change.

"I probably shouldn't have told you all that." Merlin said.  "I just want you to understand how the taxes affect the people.  That's the reason Percival joined me, he doesn't want anyone else to have to live through what he did."

There was silence again as Arthur pondered this.  After this pause Arthur asked, "Do you really think I'm the Once and Future King?"

"You know the prophecies of Emrys?" Merlin asked in surprise.

"I had to do something when I was supposed to be catching you.  Your name was the only clue I had, so I learned everything I could about the legends."

"Ah." Merlin said, pausing before he continued, "I'm not sure.  But when we met as children, it was almost like I felt something telling me to save you.  Like it was more important than anything else.  There's something special about you Arthur Pendragon, you could change the fate of this kingdom.  Now, I'm sorry about this, but I need to make sure you don't see which way we go tomorrow.  It shouldn't hurt, but you might be a little dizzy when you wake." 

Merlin then whispered some words Arthur didn’t understand, sending Arthur into a deep and dreamless sleep.

* * *

 

When Arthur woke, he almost wondered if the whole thing had been a dream.  The camp was completely empty, except for a small note where the fire pit had been.  Arthur was no longer tied to the tree, so he stood, stretching his stiff limbs.  He felt a little dizzy as he stood, but besides that he felt fine.  He walked over and picked up the note.  It was written in the same handwriting as the ones they had found in the empty vaults.  It didn't say much, just thanked him for not telling his father and explained the quickest route back to Camelot.  The only thing that was really special about the note was that it wasn't signed Emrys, it was signed Merlin.


	4. Chapter Four: Bayard's Visit

Chapter Four: Bayard's Visit

Merlin was happy with the new camp, as it was in a better position than the one they had been forced to flee. It had a large cave that they could hide in if the weather got nasty and was further from the Druid camp, which was reassuring.  He didn't want the town found because of his own clumsiness.  The one downside of meeting Arthur Pendragon was that Percival, Gwaine, and Lancelot had been acting slightly more protective of him than usual, which was getting a little annoying.  Percival was especially frustrating, he hadn't let him out of sight since he had sent Arthur to sleep last night.  They had spent the entire day laying low and setting up their things, Percival deeming it necessary to stay uncomfortably close to Merlin.  He had considered using magic to push him away, but figured that would just get him another lecture, which he really wasn't in the mood for right now.  They remained in the camp until the next afternoon when they left their few belongings hidden in the cave to go meet the tax collector coming in from the town of Whennom.  It had been easy enough; a few simple spells and a little intimidation from Gwaine, Lancelot, and Percival and the man had handed over all his gold. They had left the trembling man with a message for Uther before disappearing into the woods.  Percival had wanted Merlin to stay behind while they went to deliver the gold, but, after quite a bit of arguing, Merlin convinced Percival to let him go to the village most of the gold had come from instead of entering the city with the rest of them.  Even if Arthur had sold them out, the people of the far away village wouldn't know anything yet.

Merlin had taken the longest to return from his trip, seeing as he had the furthest to go and the most people to visit so, when he got back, Lancelot, Gwaine, and Percival were all waiting for him.  They had lit a small fire and were eating some type of meat that looked a lot like roasted rabbit and smelled absolutely heavenly.  When Merlin collapsed next to them, Gwaine handed him some bread and meat.  After taking a few bites he asked, "So, did Arthur tell his men what we looked like?"

"It doesn't seem so." Lancelot said, "At least not yet."

"I told you he wouldn't give us away." Merlin responded with a smile.

"Just because we were safe today doesn't mean he hasn't talked." Percival said.

"Awe come on Percy." Gwaine said, "Maybe we shouldn't be so quick to judge the royal... what was it you called him Merlin?"

"Prat." Merlin said with a smile.  He was glad at least one of his friends agreed with him about Arthur.  He had been thinking about the young prince ever since they had left the old camp.  The feeling he had gotten when he was a child had returned the moment the prince had shouted his name.  The tugging towards Arthur, the unexplained urge to protect the man and the strange way he had been sure Arthur had been telling him the truth just by looking in his eyes.  He wanted to see him again, to ask him more questions, to try to determine whether this man really was his destiny, but of course that was slightly impossible, seeing as Arthur was supposed to arrest him on sight.  Still, he couldn't help but wonder if Arthur really would do as his father wanted if they met again.

"Oy!  Merlin! Anyone in there?" Gwaine called, snapping Merlin from his reverie.  Merlin sent a small amount of magic towards Gwaine, sealing his lips.  Gwaine tried to mumbled a bit through the spell, but gave up quickly, instead focusing his energy at glaring at Merlin who ignored him and said, "Any other news from Camelot?"

"Uther's going to have a royal visitor." Lancelot said with a smile.  "And you may want to let Gwaine speak, he looks like he's about to explode."

"Fine." Merlin said, waving his hand.

"King Bayard's coming to Camelot!  Uther's throwing a big party and everything." Gwaine blurted out now that he had use of his mouth again.  

"Bayard of Mercia?" Merlin asked.  "What's he doing in Camelot?"

"Apparently signing some type of peace treaty." Percival answered.

"We were thinking, with all the guards preoccupied with two kings the vaults would be wide open." Lancelot said with a smile.

"That's probably true, Lancelot." Merlin said with a grin.  "We can't let a glaring security flaw like that go unnoticed."

"Now that sounds like a party." Gwaine said with a smile.  They all gathered around the fire to begin planning their next big heist.

* * *

 

Arthur arrived in Camelot at about midday.  He was escorted to see his father who yelled at him for leaving before Arthur could even tell the story Merlin had made up for him.  When he finally got the chance to explain his absence, his father had fallen silent, and when Arthur finished, Uther clapped him on the shoulder, telling him he had done well to get so close to Emrys before questioning him about his night.  Arthur had denied any knowledge of the thief's identity while his father pressed him for information.  When the king pulled out a map, requesting for Arthur to point out where Emrys had captured him from, Arthur motioned vaguely towards an area far enough from where the camp had been that Arthur figured Merlin and his friends would be nowhere near it.  Uther had then sent Arthur down to see Gaius, in case he had been injured and was hiding it from his father.  He had been glad to escape his father's incessant questioning, but was slightly nervous his father would get lucky and send the knights he had called in the right direction and find Merlin and his friends.  Arthur tried not to worry, Merlin was powerful, and he wasn't alone.  They would be alright.  And Gaius knew quite a bit about the Druids and Purge that Geoffrey either did not or would not tell him, so even though he wasn't injured the trip wouldn't be a complete waste.  When he reached the tower in which the old physician lived in alone, he knocked, received a "Come in." then entered.

"Sire!" Gaius said, jumping up from his table.  "To what do I owe this honor?"

"I was caught by the thief and his men.  My father would like you to check for any injuries." Arthur replied.

"Emrys?  You met Emrys?" Gaius asked with amazement.  The physician had been the one who told him of the legends, and had always shown quite the interest in the outlaw, so Arthur wasn't surprised by his excitement.

"Yes, but I didn't learn much, so don't ask.  Although, he did say the Druids call him Emrys.  Would that mean he is the genuine article?"

"If any could recognize Emrys for who he is, it would be the Druids.  Of course, this could just be another part of his alias.  If he wants us to think he is Emrys, he would say that.  Do you feel pain anywhere?  Any lightheadedness?" 

"No Gaius.  I'm fine.  He didn't want to hurt me." Arthur answered, still slightly surprised by this fact.

"Did he tell you anything at all, Sire?" Gaius asked.  Arthur paused.  Could he tell Gaius more than he told his father?  He decided to risk at least a little, and said, "Gaius, if he really is Emrys, then there would need to be a Once and Future King as well, right?"

"Yes, I believe so.  Did someone else there address themselves as such?" 

"No." Arthur said hesitantly, "I overheard him speaking with one of his...associates.  He seemed to think that I might be him."

"Really?" Gaius said with surprise, and quite a fair amount of skepticism.  "Well, I suppose it is possible.  I always thought the Once and Future King would come from the Druids, just like Emrys, but I could be mistaken."

Arthur nodded.  That made sense.  But then again, it didn't seem as if Emrys was a Druid either.  He may have been raised by them, but he had made it clear that he had not been born with them.  That reminded Arthur of Merlin's past, and he asked, "Do you know if my father ever destroyed an entire town in the purge? It would have had to have been a few years after the purge started, but probably not too long."

Gaius gave him a questioning look and asked, "Is this something else you overheard while with Emrys?" 

"Something like that." Arthur replied.

"There were a lot Druid camps Uther sent his knights to attack.  But you know about those, don't you?"

Arthur nodded, lost in memories of riding out with the knights to murder the magic users that his father hated so.  But he couldn't be distracted now, so he shook his head and said, "Not a Druid tribe.  It would have been a town.  And it would have been burned down."

Gaius was silent.  He stared off into the distance for a moment before stumbling back into his chair.  He looked like he was currently lost in some terrible memory.  The look still on his face, he said, "There was one place.  Your father kept it pretty quiet.  The only reason I knew about it was because a friend of mine lived there.  It was a small town, called Ealdor.  Uther didn't want people to know it was him who destroyed it as it lies in Essetir.  He didn't want war, so he did it quietly.  He rode out with a group of his closest knights, saying he was going hunting.  When he came back he said he had defeated the last dragon lord, a man called Balinor.  I believed Balinor was living in Ealdor, so I sent a letter to my friend to inquire about it.  The letter was returned, with the message that the town no longer existed.  When I questioned the king he told me what he did.  I almost left his services then, but cowardice and a past friendship convinced me to stay."

Arthur was silent.  So his father had really destroyed an entire town in his war against magic.  He took a deep breath and asked, "He killed everyone?  Not just this Balinor?"

"Yes.  I travelled there a few weeks after I learned of its destruction.  It was horrible.  I asked some of the surrounding villages what had happened, they just said it burned.  They hadn't seen anyone fleeing.  And when I reached the town...  When I reached the town it was gone.  Nothing but ash.  It was terrible."

"Thank you for telling me this Gaius.  I am sorry I brought up such awful memories." Arthur said, his mind was racing.  Could this Ealdor be Merlin's home?  He had to learn more.  Gaius nodded silently, looking pale and stunned, still lost to the horrors of the past.  Arthur left quietly, making a mental note to see that one of the maids brought the elderly physician some food from the royal kitchen as thanks.  He went down to the library and started searching through the maps, looking for any sign of a town called Ealdor.  It must have been removed from most of them, as it wasn't until he found a very old map that had been buried under piles of others that he saw a small mark labeled "Ealdor".  It was tiny, just beyond the borders of Camelot.  Arthur's stomach churned as he thought about the people who must have lived there before it had been destroyed by his father.  In one fell swoop his father had ended hundreds of innocent lives, all for his personal vendetta against magic.  Soon the horror at the destruction his father had wrought changed to anger, and he found himself marching back up to the throne room, ready to yell at his father for what he had done.  It wasn't until he had gotten there that he realized any sudden knowledge of Ealdor could make his father suspicious, and could create trouble for Merlin, so when his father asked him what he had come for, he wasn't able to respond.  He just stood silent for a moment, anger boiling deep inside of him.  How could Uther look so calm, act so peaceful with so much blood on his hands?  He suddenly remembered something Merlin had said. After all he had suffered; he didn't want to see Uther dead.  Arthur felt like someone had pulled a plug somewhere inside of him, and all the rage, all the horror washed away, leaving him feeling exceptionally empty.  He almost didn't hear his father say "Well, if you have nothing to say, I need to speak with you about King Bayard's visit in a few days."

Arthur nodded vaguely, barely paying attention to what his father was saying as his mind was lost to thoughts of Merlin and how much he had lost, and how good he had remained.

* * *

 

The day of Bayard's visit arrived quickly.  Merlin, Percival, Gwaine, and Lancelot were ready.  They had fashioned disguises to use to sneak into the city, each large enough to hide a dark cloak they would use once inside the castle.  Merlin would use magic to distract any guards they ran into on their way, and then keep watch as the others broke into the vaults.  They weren't too worried; this would be the fifth time they had broken into the castle.  It was a lot easier than it probably should have been.  The guards of Camelot really weren't the brightest bunch.  

Still, Uther was angry.  And he had started to increase training for the guards who were all obviously afraid of failing their king once more, which made them dangerous.  Merlin hoped they might have one ally in Camelot now though, even if the others thought he was slightly crazy for trusting the prince.

Everything had been going perfectly.  No one doubted the four elderly men who made their way towards the castle, trying not to itch the scratchy fake beards as they did.  They didn’t stop until they reached the castle wall, waiting in a position they knew was shrouded in shadows to the guards above, where they quickly pulled on their dark cloaks.  Merlin opened a door that led down into the bowls of the castle with a flick of his wrist and a mumbled word, allowing them entry.  They ran inside, Merlin stopping briefly to close the door they had entered but leaving it unlocked in case they needed to make a speedy getaway.  They had reached the vaults quickly; after Merlin had sent the only two guards watching into a deep sleep, allowing them to pass by unnoticed.  He took his position at the corner of the hallway that led down to the vaults, keeping an eye out for the guards who would be sent in as relief.  It was his job to keep watch as he had recently mastered speaking directly to the minds of his friends, and could give them updates on their situation silently.  He had gotten slightly bored waiting for the others to finish, and had started to think about Arthur again.  It was strange to think that the man he wanted to speak with so badly was so close but also so completely inaccessible.  He was Emrys; nothing should be off limits for him.  He was so lost in his daydreams of the blonde prince that he didn't notice the two men approach from the far end of the corridor, wearing the uniforms of the guards of Camelot.  Unfortunately they had noticed him, and he was snapped harshly from his thoughts as a bolt from a crossbow sunk into his shoulder. His cry of pain was followed by a large crash as Percival, Lancelot, and Gwaine attempted to come to his aide.  Merlin focused his power on the connection between the four of them as he thought, 'I'm fine.  You three need to take whatever you have and run.  There are guards, and they've spotted me, but you are safe.  I will meet you back at the camp, I promise.'

As soon as he had finished, he heard a shout from the vaults which sounded vaguely like Percival yelling "We’re not leaving you Merlin!"

Merlin focused on the connection once more, which was getting difficult with the pain in his shoulder increasing and the guards approaching and thought, 'I'm Emrys!  Stop worrying about me and run! This is an order!  It will be easier for me to get out alone, and this way they won't learn how we got in.  Now go!'

Percival didn't respond this time, which Merlin took as a good sign as he sprinted off down the hallway.  He hadn't noticed that one of the guards had run in the opposite direction he was heading, and that soon the whole city would be alerted of his presence.

* * *

 

The feast had been remarkably dull.  As Uther and Bayard blathered on and on about who knew what, Arthur let his mind wander back to where it had been straying a slightly unsettling amount lately, Merlin.  He wondered where the dark haired warlock was now, what his next plans were, whether Arthur would ever get the chance to speak to him again.  The only thing that had been able to pull him from his thoughts was when a guard burst into the banquet hall and shouted, "Emrys has been spotted in the castle!"

"WHAT!" Arthur and his father both said at the same time.  While Uther sounded angry and a little excited, Arthur was terrified.  He couldn't let Merlin be caught, he owed him his life!

"One of the guards managed to shoot him in the shoulder with a poisoned bolt, and is pursuing him now.  I came to alert your highnesses." The guard said, still slightly out of breath.

"Very good." Uther said.  Arthur needed to get out there, he felt so useless doing nothing while Merlin was injured and trapped inside his castle. 

"Father," Arthur said, "May I be excused to help catch Emrys?  It is my duty to protect the kingdom from threats like him."

"Of course, Arthur." Uther said, "Do not fail me this time, I want the thief's head on a platter by the time the evening is over."

Arthur felt slightly sick at this image as Uther order the guard who had interrupted to take Arthur to where Emrys had been spotted and began to explain the situation to Bayard.  Arthur didn't stay for the explanation; instead he yanked off his cloak and rushed after the guard.  The guard led him down to the corridor outside the vaults, saying he had seen Emrys run down the opposite direction they had come, the arrow still lodged in his shoulder.  Arthur sprinted down the hall, following a path of slight destruction that must have been left by the chase.  It wasn't long before he found the guard who had been chasing Merlin.  He was looking down a dark hallway, that Arthur was almost certain ended in a dead end.  He ran up to the guard and said, "What's going on?  Where's Emrys?"

"He's down there, Sire.  I was afraid to attack on my own, so I waited, hoping Jeremy would come back with reinforcements."

Arthur nodded.  "Good thinking.  Now, I want you two to go to the west tower.  There is a hidden servant's corridor that runs from the end of this hall to a chamber at the bottom of the tower." Arthur had made up the corridor, wanting to get rid of the guards without looking too suspicious. They wouldn't know whether or not Arthur was lying, and would hopefully trust the prince.  They nodded so Arthur continued.  "I believe he knows of this passage, I will follow him from this end, force him towards you."

They nodded and ran off; leaving Arthur alone at the end of the corridor Merlin was supposedly trapped down, being slowly poisoned by the arrow the guard had used.  Arthur walked quietly down the corridor, whispering "Merlin" at every door. He eventually found him, leaning against the far corner, a hand clutching his shoulder where an arrow was stuck in his flesh.

"Merlin, is that you?" Arthur whispered.

"Arthur?" Merlin asked.  Arthur was certain it was his voice, even if the pain he was in was causing it to sound slightly more strained than usual.  

"Yeah." Arthur responded, rushing to Merlin's side. "I'm going to get you out of here."

"Why?" Merlin asked, leaning on Arthur as he began to lead him down the currently deserted corridor.

"You saved my life; I'm just returning the favor." Arthur whispered, leaning Merlin against the wall as he checked to make sure no one was heading towards them.  

"Thank you." Merlin said, still sounding like he was in quite a bit of pain, the poison must have been quick-acting if he was already this weak.  

"Where are Percival, Gwaine, and the other one?" Arthur asked, "Are they trapped in here as well?"

"No." Merlin said quietly.  "They should be headed back to camp.  No one saw them, so they were able to get out safely."

"I find it hard to believe that that Percival bloke just left you here." Arthur said, genuinely surprised.  He also thought he should keep Merlin focused on anything but the pain as they made their way out of the castle.  It was getting more difficult as they reached more heavily populated areas of the palace, but Arthur was the prince, and he was able to hide Merlin and order the men in the wrong directions so he could maneuver Merlin to the exit.  "He didn't want to." Merlin responded with a pained laugh, "but I am the leader of our group, he understands that even if he does see me as a little brother."

"If I get you out of the city, will you be able to get back to them?" Arthur asked, panting slightly as they snuck out one of the side entrances to the castle.  Arthur had been correct in thinking it would be unguarded in all the excitement, so they were able to escape the castle safely.

"I believe so." Merlin responded.  "But how are we going to get out of the city?  You’re father will have sealed the gates, won’t he?"

"Don't worry.  I have a plan.  I had to have ways to escape the constant watch of my guards when I was a child, right? Well, you are about to learn one of the many secrets of Arthur Pendragon.  I haven't used this exit for years."

"You think it will still be there?" Merlin asked breathlessly.  Arthur couldn’t answer right away as a group of knights had just turned down the street they were walking down and Arthur had to push Merlin down an alley to keep him hidden.  He ordered them to head in the other direction, saying he had this area under control, before he ran back to the alley and picked Merlin up off of the ground, where he was lying, unable to support himself after losing Arthur’s help so suddenly.

"I am pretty sure no one touched that corner of the wall since I did.  Don't worry, Merlin, it is well hidden.  I'm not going to let my father catch you tonight."

"Thank you, Arthur." Merlin huffed, "You are beginning to change my opinion of Pendragons."

Arthur kept silent at that, but smiled slightly.  They were approaching the part of the castle walls he had used as an escape route when he was young.  Concealed behind a large bush the wall had crumbled slightly, allowing for there to be just enough space for him to crawl through.  He had been a lot smaller when he had, but he figured Merlin would be skinny enough to fit through.  He rushed up to the wall and pushed the branches of the bush aside so the hole was visible and Merlin could squeeze through it.  

"Are you sure you will be alright?" Arthur asked, as Merlin crouched down slowly to peer through the hole.

"Thanks to you, I believe I will be.  I can let my friends know where I am, they will come for me.  You risked a lot helping me, Arthur.  I can't thank you enough."

"You needn’t thank me at all." Arthur said, "You saved my life before, and you opened my eyes to the atrocities my father has committed.  I want to help you change this land, in any way I can."

Merlin studied him for a moment before saying, "You will make a good king, Arthur Pendragon."

Arthur didn't know how to reply to that.  As he tried to think of something to say, he heard another group of guards approaching quickly, so he whispered, "Go!  I will try to lead them away, but you need to get out of here."

Merlin just nodded before he ducked through the opening and disappeared as Arthur ran back to join the group, praying that Merlin would make it safely away from the castle.  The search went on all night, but there was no sign of Merlin, or Emrys Arthur thought, no one but him would call him Merlin.  Uther had been furious at 'his failure,' and Arthur had had to make sure he didn't look too happy as he announced to his father that Emrys had escaped him once again.  The two guards he had sent away kept silent about the 'servant's passage', probably as they were afraid their inability to find the non-existent passage had lead to the eventual escape of the thief.  There had been a small amount of gold missing from the vaults, but there had been no note, probably as their mission had been interrupted by Merlin's discovery.  Still, no one had any doubt about who had taken the gold, seeing as it went missing on the same night as Emrys was spotted in the castle.  Arthur still worried about Merlin's wound, but he decided to remain positive.  One of Merlin's friends would have to know how to treat him.  And he was Emrys after all, Arthur was certain he couldn't be killed that easily, so he resumed his daily life.  The only unusual thing was how often he found his thoughts drifting not to Emrys as his father’s obviously were, but to Merlin.

* * *

 

Merlin had managed to creep into the forest without being spotted, which was slightly amazing with the amount of times he had stumbled on his way there.  Once he was hidden by the trees, he had used the connection he had forged to alert the others of his position.  His entire arm felt like it was on fire, and he was almost certain it wasn't an ordinary arrow lodged in his shoulder.  He had pulled himself over to a tree where he could sit and wait for the others to come to his aide.  It wasn't long before he heard Percival calling his name, quickly followed by the voices of Gwaine and Lancelot. 

"I'm over here!" Merlin called weakly.  The voices had stopped and Percival had appeared by his side.

"Merlin! What happened?" Gwaine called as he too moved to Merlin's side.  

"One of the guards saw me.  I didn't see him, and he shot me, and I think there may have been something on the arrow.  Arthur helped me out of Camelot, but he couldn't do anything else." Merlin said.  He was beginning to grow tired of talking.  He just wanted to sleep.

"Arthur Pendragon helped you escape?" Lancelot asked, slightly incredulously.  Merlin just nodded.

"We need to get you to Iseldir now." Percival said, lifting Merlin up and rushing past Lancelot and Gwaine, who both nodded and followed behind him.  Merlin could just barely keep his eyes open as he was carted through the woods, towards the Druid camp.  When Percival burst through the thick trees Iseldir was already there waiting for him.  A large portion of the village had joined him, watching as Merlin was carried into the camp by a silent Percival. It was getting difficult for him to keep his eyes open as they entered Iseldir's tent, and Percival set him down gently on the cot in the corner.  Merlin could feel the sweat dripping down his brow as Iseldir knelt by his side and said, "You need to be more careful, Emrys, all our hopes rest on you."

Merlin wanted to reply with a sarcastic comment about the amount of pressure Iseldir was putting him under, but his mouth and throat were too dry, so all he could do was give him a hazy glare as he said, "We need to remove his shirt."

Merlin could feel Percival, Gwaine, and Lancelot's hands on him as they all tried to help Iseldir undress him.  The cool breeze that whispered across his burning skin felt amazing as his shirt was cut from his body and dropped to the floor.  He could just barely hear Iseldir tell Percival to pull at the arrow as he felt two rough hands pressing around the wound.  He couldn't hear Percival reply if he had, his ears filled with the sound of his rushing blood.  Then, with a sudden burst of pain, and the arrow was gone from his shoulder, although the burning remained.  He couldn't hear it, but Iseldir had begun whispering words in the old religion.  As Iseldir chanted, Merlin felt a fire move through his veins, gathering at the now empty wound, before exiting, taking the terrible burning with it.  As the fire left his body, Merlin fell into a deep sleep.


End file.
